Sunday Sidebar: Orange Crush
9/16/2018 12:26:00 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A first-half shutout, four sacks and an interception.
The Syracuse defense did that and a lot more Saturday inside the Carrier Dome, limiting Florida State to just five first downs over the first three quarters, as well as holding the Seminoles scoreless through the first three three periods, en route to 30-7 win.
"I thought it was amazing," junior defensive end Kendall Coleman said. "This performance shows a lot of growth from the team we were two years ago and the team we were last year. It means everything going forward because this is going to be big for establishing who we are this season."
Syracuse hit Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois early and often, finishing with a season-high four sacks, including two by Coleman. The Orange also forced 10 punts on 14 FSU offensive possessions and harassed the Seminoles into a 1-for-14 (.071) performance on third down. In addition, Syracuse was stout against the run, holding the Seminoles to 62 yards on 23 carries (2.7 avg.). Running back Cam Akers, who ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns against the Orange last season, managed just 52 yards.
"We made some adjustments, and we were able to play really fast after seeing what we saw," Coleman said. "There was really nothing on film that kind of gave it away. It was all kind of right there on the field today."
Every level of coordinator Brian Ward's defense contributed. The defensive line accounted for all four sacks, with ends Kingsley Jonathan and Alton Robinson each notching one to go along with Coleman's pair of quarterback takedowns. Senior linebacker Kielan Whitner made a team-high 11 tackles, his first career double-digit tackle game, and caused a fumble. Safety Evan Foster logged 10 stops for his second double-digit tackle game of the year, and corner Christopher Fredrick intercepted Francois in the second quarter leading to a Syracuse field goal.
Fredrick's pick was Syracuse's sixth of season, which is tied for the ACC lead. It also guaranteed the Orange a win in the turnover battle, as Syracuse finished with a +1 margin for the game.
Orange head coach Dino Babers said there was nothing deceptive about the unit's performance.
"Defensive ends and defensive tackles were winning their one-on-one battles," Babers said. "As a coach, that's what gets you fired up. It was not trickery. It was guys lining up and whupping the guy in front of them."
If the Orange defenders continue to play like they did Saturday, it will be opposing offenses that might need to turn to gimmicks to find success.
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
The Syracuse defense did that and a lot more Saturday inside the Carrier Dome, limiting Florida State to just five first downs over the first three quarters, as well as holding the Seminoles scoreless through the first three three periods, en route to 30-7 win.
"I thought it was amazing," junior defensive end Kendall Coleman said. "This performance shows a lot of growth from the team we were two years ago and the team we were last year. It means everything going forward because this is going to be big for establishing who we are this season."
Syracuse hit Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois early and often, finishing with a season-high four sacks, including two by Coleman. The Orange also forced 10 punts on 14 FSU offensive possessions and harassed the Seminoles into a 1-for-14 (.071) performance on third down. In addition, Syracuse was stout against the run, holding the Seminoles to 62 yards on 23 carries (2.7 avg.). Running back Cam Akers, who ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns against the Orange last season, managed just 52 yards.
"We made some adjustments, and we were able to play really fast after seeing what we saw," Coleman said. "There was really nothing on film that kind of gave it away. It was all kind of right there on the field today."
Every level of coordinator Brian Ward's defense contributed. The defensive line accounted for all four sacks, with ends Kingsley Jonathan and Alton Robinson each notching one to go along with Coleman's pair of quarterback takedowns. Senior linebacker Kielan Whitner made a team-high 11 tackles, his first career double-digit tackle game, and caused a fumble. Safety Evan Foster logged 10 stops for his second double-digit tackle game of the year, and corner Christopher Fredrick intercepted Francois in the second quarter leading to a Syracuse field goal.
Fredrick's pick was Syracuse's sixth of season, which is tied for the ACC lead. It also guaranteed the Orange a win in the turnover battle, as Syracuse finished with a +1 margin for the game.
Orange head coach Dino Babers said there was nothing deceptive about the unit's performance.
"Defensive ends and defensive tackles were winning their one-on-one battles," Babers said. "As a coach, that's what gets you fired up. It was not trickery. It was guys lining up and whupping the guy in front of them."
If the Orange defenders continue to play like they did Saturday, it will be opposing offenses that might need to turn to gimmicks to find success.
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
Players Mentioned
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